An Anchor in the Prairie

"As a kid I guess I was too dumb or naïve to realize I was poor." So writes Bill Forbes about his growing up years in a small town in Midwest America in the 1940s and '50s. From humble beginnings he began a journey that would take him through three careers and into retirement. Bill's early years will bring back fond memories to many. Others will enjoy the tale of a simpler time and wish they could have that experience. This small town boy from the prairie of Illinois would witness the wonders of the Pacific Ocean and lands beyond as he served eight years on active duty in the U.S. Navy; part of it in a war zone. He would sell encyclopedias door-to-door, interview four U.S. Presidents during a 20 year broadcast journalism career and end his working years as a civil service employee for the Navy in the nation's capitol city. After traveling the world for 16 years in his Navy civil service job and upon retiring to Southern California, Bill continued to travel, this time for leisure. He has the bragging rights of setting foot on every continent on the planet. Yes, even Antarctica. He's the guy who burned a hole in Bill Clinton's brand new office carpet. He walked beneath the Arkansas River, flew more than 1200 hours in a news helicopter and survived the bureaucracy that is Washington, D.C. As he looks back on more than six decades, Bill Forbes still feels the influence of the U.S. Navy. He says, "I'm just a Fleet Sailor at heart."